Big sur is all about taking in some majestic views. Check out my top tips for driving the pacific coast highway and make sure you get it right. The oregon coast bike route could definitely use some improvements, but i would not want anyone to feel discouraged from riding it. Mar 31, 2009 in this expanded tour of the pacific coast highway, jamie takes you from the dense green forests of washington to the gorgeous beaches of southern california. Strap in and get ready for an exhilarating driving experience. The pch also referred to as state route 1, cabrillo highway, shoreline highway, or coast highway runs 655. Pacific coast highway california 2020 all you need to. Beginning in santa monica, the route uses some beautiful bike paths that go right through the middle of the sandy beaches, and then youll ride through residential and industrial areas before rejoining the pacific coast highway south of the city. Road trip usa pacific coast highway by jamie jensen.
In this expanded tour of the pacific coast highway, jamie takes you from the dense green forests of washington to the gorgeous beaches of southern california. Pacific coast adventure cycling route network adventure. By far the best parts of the oregon coast bike route are the sections off the highway. I am not a fearless rider and keep almost entirely to routes with dedicated bike lanes or marked shared routes, and still managed to have a very positive experience on the oregon portion, at least. Pacific coast highway closures means visitors can bike big. Jul 12, 2011 cycling on californias pacific coast highway marc pagani. Books to help you make the most of the pacific coast highway dont just take our word for whats good, as there are plenty of books to help you with your research into any pacific coast highway trip, or any vacation anywhere along the way. Cycling the pacific coast highway is one of the most amazing cycling experiences in the world.
Cycling the north pacific coast, vancouver bc to san. The classic pacific coast highway road trip road trip usa. Central and southeast asia, i was riding south to argentina with 50kg of luggage. When i heard about this spot, i was instantly excited about it and had to go experience it for myself. In washington, oregon, and at the northern end of california, the pacific coast route follows us highway 101. Bicycle touring the pacific coast is outlined in one trip or four separate adventures. Once you leave that wellworn thoroughfare youre treated to the splendors of the oregon coast undiluted by exhaust, loud engines, or inconsiderate drivers. A noholdsbarred look at doing the mighty coast highway on two wheels. Bike from crescent city, ca to san francisco 412 miles push on down the california coast line all the way down to san francisco. In san diego, 70 miles of highway 101 features some of the coolest beach towns and.
Im particularly excited about seeing the lost coast. Its hard to beat the views road tripping along the pacific coast highway pch. And for 33 years, our very own bicycling the pacific coast was the most popular guidebook to this venerable route, until now. Several routes to cross america were available to me when cycling from alaska to argentina, but in the end, i decided on the pacific coast route. To increase safety for all traffic, cyclists should attempt to ride well to the right. Highway 1 along the big sur coast is currently closed due to the road washing out and there is no eta on when the road will be reopened.
May 20, 2016 the second leg of the trip starts off in astoria, the northwest corner of oregon and heads south, hugging the pacific coast. Canada to mexico route for cycling the pacific coast and overnight motels and camp sites. Discover the beauty to be found between canada and mexico. Now that you have all the details you need to plan a pch road trip, you need to know which destinations are worth a stop along the pacific coast highway. Tam, the whole mountain has been protected in seminatural state within a series of state and national parks, and its. Note that as you depart carpinteria the wellsigned route south directs you onto the 101 fwy for only a short distance to the ralph fertig memorial bicyclepedestrian path trailhead. When i agreed to accompany my friend on an epic bicycle tripfrom canada to mexico on the popular pacific coast route,my previous biking experience consisted of a 1. Apr 19, 2018 take it from bill thorness, a seattlebased journalist and bike enthusiast who recently documented every mile of the routefrom canada to mexicoin his new travel guide cycling the pacific coast.
Lets face it, the pacific highway route takes you from wilderness to sfo. How to complete an epic pacific coast highway road trip. The good, the bad, and the ugly on the oregon coast bike. These fortytwo suggested daily itineraries averaging 53 miles each begin and end at campsites. Sep 14, 2010 get stopbystop directions for a driving tour of californias pacific coast highway from national geographics ultimate road trips. The ultimate california coast road trip all the best stops. Mar 07, 20 by the hairpin a couple years ago, megan bernard biked from eugene, or, to san francisco. Blessed with an idyllic location along the sundrenched pacific coast, the city draws countless visitors, from celebrity hunting tourists to motorists speeding often literally along scenic pch. To make the most of the sea views, drive north to south. If youve ever dreamed of riding part or all of the pacific coast this is a great source of information. How to bike the pacific coast from canada to mexico the six fifty. In pacifica and half moon bay there are bike paths that mirror the highway. Put pacific coast highway on your bucket list you wont regret it.
Cycling the north pacific coast, vancouver bc to san francisco complete garmin map data the pacific coast highway is probably the most popular cycling tour in the usa and for good reason. Here, a guide to one of the most scenic drives youll ever take. Exit the interstates and create your own driving adventures on the west coasts unrivaled scenic highway. Pacific coast highway celebrates the great american road trip, and gives you the tools, resources, and inspiration to make it your own. The ultimate pacific coast highway road trip travel us news. From the canadian border to the border with mexico, the routes take you on the highways and the byways through over 1700 miles of magnificent west coast scenery. Average guy biking the pacific coast just an average middleaged guy biking the pacific coast and looking for enlightenment 1,784 miles 2,871 km over 51 days from june 7, 2008 to july 27, 2008. Stepbystep pacific coast highway road trip directions. I am not a fearless rider and keep almost entirely to routes with dedicated bike lanes or marked shared routes, and still managed to. Take it from bill thorness, a seattlebased journalist and bike enthusiast who recently documented every mile of the routefrom canada to mexicoin his new travel guide cycling the pacific coast. Top tips driving highway 1 the ultimate calfornia road trip. Drive to anacortes and deception pass, then youre back in the book.
If youre in need of trip ideas for 2017, consider driving up the iconic pacific coast highway. I used this book while riding my bicyle from vancouver to sanfrancisco in 1996. There are several good guides that cover the entire route, for both drivers and cyclists, and you should. This beautiful route along the historic and beautiful pch has had accidents and even fatalities to cyclists over the years, but the beauty of the pacific ocean and santa monica mountains keeps riders coming back in spite of the potential danger. Heres some travel tips and blogs from biking the pacific coast highway. Vancouver, canada to astoria, oregon 286 miles7,683 elevation gain.
On the electric bikes a person can easily go the 18miles of virtually trafficfree pacific coast highway. You will have to opt for highway 101 if travel in this area is in your plans. In advance of his upcoming palo alto appearance at books, inc. And that, in the eyes of some locals, is the problem. Jun 14, 2012 professional traveler jamie jensen traveled more than 400,000 miles to bring you the bestselling travel guideroad trip usa. I already love pacific coast highway, so to be able to walk a part of the road that is now closed to drivers and has been converted into a trail was just too awesome. The safest time to rebook flights if your trip has been cancelled due to coronavirus. Along this stretch of the highway there are side roads you can take for a couple of miles at a time.
Average guy biking the pacific coast, by rich trimble. When driving the pacific coast highway, you can drive from the north coast of washington and continue all the way down to the southern tip of california. Not only is this one of the best road trips in america, it has to be one of the best in the world. Scenic driving tours along coastal highways peck, donna on. From canada to the mexican border, bicycling the pacific coast is the most popular guidebook to bicycle touring this gorgeous edge of the u. Apr 18, 2020 stepbystep pacific coast highway road trip directions. How to drive the pacific coast highway like a champion. Route and accommodations while cycling the pacific coast. Pacific coast highway pch, driving into malibu along southbound california state route 1. How to bike the pacific coast from canada to mexico.
Once youve gotten to the parking lot at the andrew molera state park, visitors can take a shuttle that runs from noon to 7 p. Jun 11, 2015 road trip usa pacific coast highway highlights major cities, obscure towns, popular attractions, roadside curiosities, historic sites, and oddball trivia. The second leg of the trip starts off in astoria, the northwest corner of oregon and heads south, hugging the pacific coast. Bike from astoria, oregon to crescent city, ca 407 miles the second leg of the trip starts off in astoria, the northwest corner of oregon and heads south, hugging the pacific coast. The road rises along the ridge and the view of the cliffs and the pacific pcean below is just great. California road trip the pacific coast highway youtube. Cycling on californias pacific coast highway youtube. The pacific coast route is the most popular bike touring route in the u. Cycling on californias pacific coast highway marc pagani.
From the coast, a pair of roadspanoramic highway and the shoreline highway hwy1twist up and over the slopes of mt. Get stopbystop directions for a driving tour of californias pacific coast highway from national geographics ultimate road trips. The scenic pacific coast route travels from vancouver, b. Highway 1 pacific coast highway is one of the most beautiful roads in the world, especially the part between san simeon and carmel. Pacific coast highway california 2020 what to know before. A simple route to follow, it involved cycling along the pacific highway 101 and highway 1. The cascadian if you are thinking of taking a long cycling trip along the west coast, you might consider picking up a copy of the fourth edition of bicycling the pacific coast. I drove it both directions, taking longer to drive back because i had no place i had to be at the end of the day.
Twelve days biking and camping alone along the pacific coast. Its renowned as one of the most scenic road trips in america, and of course there are dozens of fun places to stop and check out along the way. Tom kirkendall and vicky spring guide you turn by turn along the length of pacific coast bicycle route all 1816. With nearly 650 miles of coastal views, its no wonder that state route 1 more commonly known as the pacific coast highway is considered one of the. Professional traveler jamie jensen traveled more than 400,000 miles to bring you the bestselling travel guideroad trip usa. Jun 27, 2014 cycling the north pacific coast, vancouver bc to san francisco complete garmin map data the pacific coast highway is probably the most popular cycling tour in the usa and for good reason. When you imagine driving along the pacific coast highway, you might think of the thrilling stretch. In san diego, 70 miles of highway 101 features some of the coolest beach towns and most beautiful scenery anywhere in california. Now im going to lay out stepbystep directions for a pacific coast highway road trip based on all my tips so far.
Dont be in a hurry because of all the great pic opportunitys. Why you must tackle americas greatest road trip on two wheels. Admittedly, you would have to be very brave to cycle through parts of the urban jungle along the way. Cycling the pacific coast and millions of other books are available for. Exit the interstates and create your own driving adventures on the west coast s unrivaled scenic highway.
Expert advice from roadwarrior jamie jensen, who has zoomed along nearly 400,000 miles of highway in search of the perfect stretches of pavement. Route 101 or 1 in some stretches runs directly along the pacific ocean for 790 miles, from san diego all the way to the oregon border. Bill thorness is author of the new book cycling the pacific coast, which. Mar 24, 2017 blessed with an idyllic location along the sundrenched pacific coast, the city draws countless visitors, from celebrity hunting tourists to motorists speeding often literally along scenic pch. It took me two years of research and many thousands of miles of riding to create the book. I also liked driving north to south best, because the ocean was on my right side and it was easier to pull off in the turnouts to take pictures. Portions of highway 1 here have been closed since may 2017, when a massive. The views were spectacular and we had good weather. From logging towns to surfer lore, road trip usa pacific coast highway covers every aspect of this mostly twolane route through the unabashedly breathtaking western coast. A really handy book for travelling the pch on bike. Pacific coast highway with kids california forum tripadvisor.
To help you in choosing your pacific coast highway hotel, guesthouse, inn, bedandbreakfast, resort, motel or other accommodations, weve prepared our pacific coast highway hotels guide. Route 101 instead until you get down to california state route 1, better known as the pacific coast highway. This fullcolour guide includes vibrant photos and helpful maps. Breathtaking cliffs, redwood forests, lighthouses, beaches, and a rugged coastline make this a very popular route. If youve ever dreamed of riding part or all of the pacific coast this is a great. The route starts in santa barbara and follows the pacific coast bike route through montecito, summerland and carpinteria. Cycling the pacific coast highway cycling the pacific coast highway is one of the most amazing cycling experiences in the world.
Road trip usa pacific coast highway highlights major cities, obscure towns, popular attractions, roadside curiosities, historic sites, and oddball trivia. All the way to san diego, there will be a mix of urban cycling through towns, bike paths, highways. The weather is mild, scenery is absolutely beautiful and there are convenient services for food and lodging all along the route. This was an epic historic trip from back in 2012, before we had become rvers.
580 793 58 263 674 870 1104 1603 1193 1135 258 869 742 377 291 941 1449 1024 160 205 1592 1086 138 540 910 388 1618 988 1095 1361 1603 794 988 230 648 1103 462 351 1138 141 266 926 270